Palos Verdes

For the best Sonora Style Mexican food around, I can think of only one place that satisfies my hunger: the original Red Onion restaurant, in Palos Verdes.

The moment you walk into the resturaunt, you are taken on a journey back in time. The incredible antique collection on the walls and ceilings - not to mention the subtle Mexican music piped in the background - gives the Red Onion a unique charm that sets it apart from other Mexican resturants.

Also, for those of you who are health-conscious, the Red Onion - on request - cooks with a no-cholesterol, low-fat canola oil. In addition, the regular tortilla chips brought to your table when you sit down can be replaced with canola chips. The regular beans, as well, can be replaced with canola beans.

With authentic Mexican cuisine in the style of Sonora (one of the Mexican states) made fresh when you order it, and a menu filled with choices, it can be very difficult deciding what to order. To help narrow the decision down a bit, I've listed some of my favorite dishes below:

Appetizers

Nachos Ornelas: According to the restaurant's menu, these nachos were "named after our chef who created this appetizer 20 years ago." The nachos are "layered with Mexican chorizo sausage and cheese and topped with guacamole and sour cream."

Carne Asada Quesadilla: A wonderful grilled quesadilla with tender chunks of carne (meat) smothered with mouth-watering Mexican cheese. Be warned: this dish is not for anyone on a low-calorie diet!

 

Salads

Brown Derby Cobb: That's right, this salad is named for the famous Brown Derby, that restaurant where stars would dine during the Golden Era of Hollywood. (Included among the antiques at the Red Onion is an actual menu from the Brown Derby, along with photos and celebrity autographs.) This salad, as a traditional Brown Derby Cobb would have it, is sectioned off: there is a section for bacon, another section for eggs, another for bleu cheese, and another for chicken - all on top of crisp tossings of greens. You get your choice of ranch, bleu cheese, thousand island, or the Red Onion's homemade avocado dressing. In my opinion, the best dressing to get with any salad is by far the Red Onion's avocado. In fact, I like to order a side of it when I have taquitos, chips, tacos, well, just about anything!

 

Enchiladas

For those of you who don't know, an enchilada is a Mexican dish consisting of corn tortillas filled with cheese, meat, or a combination thereof. My favorite enchiladas at the Red Onion include cheese, chicken, and roast beef.

Fajitas

Ever since I was a little boy, I have always gotten excited at seeing sizzling fajitas coming out of the Red Onion's kitchen. Fajitas are usually made with diced onions, tomatoes, peppers, and sometimes with diced meat, poultry, or seafood. The Red Onion's fajitas - always served on a on a piping hot iron skillet - are offered six different ways: chicken, beef, fish, shrimp, combo, and, for those of you who don't eat meat, vegetarian. All fajita choices are offered with your choice of corn or flour tortillas and a plate of rice and beans and pico de gallo salsa.

 

Tacos

The Red Onion's tacos are unique because unlike some fast food restaurants, the Red Onion makes each taco shell from scratch. My favorites are bean, grilled chicken, and fish.

 

Burritos

Call me old fashioned but I love the Red Onion's bean and cheese burrito! Here's a suggestion: ask to get your burrito with sour cream and guacamole. All of the fifteen varieties of burritos that the Red Onion offers can be made either dry or wet (with a sauce poured on the top). However, wet burritos do cost a bit extra.

 

Chimichangas

Essentially, a chimichanga is just a crisped burrito. When I ordered the roast beef changa, I was amazed at the size of the portion I received! If you're not a hungry little caterpiller, you might have to box this one up.

 

Desserts

Sure, the Red Onion offers a variety of mouth-watering desserts. In my opinion, though, the homemade flan - a Mexican caramel custard that's so rich but so good! - is a unique and wonderful conclusion to any meal.